Tesla update reportedly cuts third-party home power in Australia

Key takeaways

• Owners report third-party discharge stopping after about three minutes, or 15 to 20 minutes
• Tesla has not confirmed any change is intentional or announced a fix
• Tesla’s Australian warranty does not cover damage from third-party bidirectional equipment

Australian owners of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y say software from Tesla’s 2026.38 series is cutting power within minutes when they run homes or devices from the car’s battery using third-party equipment. Tesla has not publicly confirmed that any change is intentional. The reports come from owners and charger makers, and they do not show that every car or installation is affected.

What Tesla owners are reporting

The issue surfaced on 19 October in a Tesla Motors Club forum thread. It has been linked to software build 2026.38.5.1 and later releases. Australian coverage began on 6 and 7 November.

Owners say power stops after about three minutes with a battery management alert, or after 15 to 20 minutes regardless of load. Camp Mode and Service Mode workarounds are said to no longer help. The release notes cited by outlets mention only security fixes and improvements, and nothing about discharging.

Which equipment is affected?

Owners name equipment from Sigenergy, EleJoy and Tlyard. Most cut-off reports involve adaptors that plug into the charge port and trick the car into thinking it is charging.

Tlyard says vehicles on 2026-series software detect charging that is not drawing real power, and may cut the link. That is a charger maker’s explanation, not a Tesla statement. Sigenergy says its vehicle-to-everything test results are not certified by vehicle makers.

Tesla’s position on third-party bidirectional charging

Tesla has never approved this equipment. Its Australian warranty does not cover damage caused by third-party bidirectional adaptors or chargers, and its owner’s manual warns against using the battery as a stationary power source. A July notice to Tesla channel partners said third-party bidirectional claims, including Sigenergy’s, were not authorised or verified.

Tesla’s own Australian option is vehicle-to-load, which runs appliances directly from the car. Tesla says every new Model 3 and Model Y delivered in Australia supports it, with a $145 adaptor delivering up to 3.45kW. Tesla’s Powershare home backup is not offered for existing Australian Model 3 and Model Y cars.

Tesla has not announced a fix or timetable.